Waterford Township board sets limits on police hiring WITH VIDEO

The hiring of new public safety staff is underway this spring in Waterford, but recently the township board put certain staffing demands on the police department.

Police Chief Daniel McCaw had originally requested approval for four positions -- a part-time clerk, management assistant, property manager and crime tech analyst -- but at the March 25 meeting the board chose to only consider only two, a management assistant and property manager, both full-time.

McCaw reported in a memo that he and the deputy chief spend a "large amount of time preparing documents and doing tasks that should be performed by an assistant." The new assistant would compile information for audits, state and federal data and annual reports.

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The police department has a secure property room set up for evidence. McCaw proposed hiring a person to oversee the evidence, freeing up detectives and supervisors now doing the work.

At the March 25 board meeting, when McCaw requested that the board approve the hirings, he met with resistance.

"All departments have lost personnel," said Trustee Donna Kelley.

She recalled that approval to hire several part-time police officers was given in 2012, "and you still don't have them on board."

Other trustees echoed the same criticism. Part-time officers can work 24 hours a week and they do not receive benefits, according to union agreements.

Anthony Bartolotta sounded exasperated that reserve officers he had asked be brought on had not started to work.

"I've been hearing 'we're working on it' for over two years," Bartolotta said to McCaw.

"I'd like to see reserves. I can't support this (request for two new hires)."

Michael Harris, head of Waterford Township's Patrol Officers Association spoke out against the hiring of a management assistant and property manager.

"I don't believe these funds should be approved while there are still laid off (officers)," said Harris, who said there are currently 26 patrol officers working at the department.

"We need police."

Harris said there are six laid-off police officers.

Harris also stated if the department gets busy, "it becomes a very scary place to work (for officers)."

McCaw explained cutbacks in the department in 2010 hurt.

"We lost some 40 people, including 18 civilians," he said, noting that since then, two full-time officers have been brought back to work.

"We can't run an operation and not have the support staff." He said at one point the department had nine clerical staff and now has three full-time and a part-timer.

The board rejected the request for a management assistant, 4 to 2 with one absent trustee, and then approved the request for a property manager. The salary would be $55,000, officials said.

Trustees said they wanted the part-time officers hired before the property manager is hired. McCaw said the part-time officers' application process is now closed.

"It's taking longer than we expected because we only received about 35 applications," he said. The testing process which includes drug screening takes several weeks.

"But we are looking at hiring in April," he said.

"Later this year I will re-evaluate our needs as far as the other positions are concerned and will decide what to do then, but our main focus is to put more police on the street. I appreciate the board's support on the property room manager's position."

Fire department also hiring

The processing of new hires is happening at the Waterford Regional Fire Department.

In January officials received $7.6 million from the Department of Homeland Security FEMA for the hiring of 39 employees.

"The start date for all 39 is April 22," said Fire Chief Ron Spears.

The funding -- Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, known as the SAFER grant -- was created to provide funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations to help them increase the number of trained, "front line" firefighters available in their communities.

Waterford Regional Fire, which has a staff of 99 not including the new hires, handles fire protection for Pontiac and Lake Angelus.

FYI

Read the letter of understanding between Waterford Township and the Patrol Officers about part-time police at http://bit.ly/13AHK4R.

Contact Carol Hopkins at 248-745-4645 or carol.hopkins@oakpress.com. Follow her on Twitter @OPCarolHopkins or on Facebook @OPcarolhopkins.